M4.8 Earthquake 290 km E of Port Mathurin, Mauritius — December 22, 2023
2023-12-22 09:51:07 UTC (2023-12-22) · approx. 1:51 PM UTC+4 local
On December 22, 2023 at 09:51 UTC, a magnitude 4.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck 290 km E of Port Mathurin, Mauritius, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -20.1101°, 66.1540°. This earthquake was detected by 36 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 354, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 239 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.2 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
66.1540°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.8 earthquake near Port Mathurin, Mauritius?
The magnitude 4.8 earthquake that struck 290 km E of Port Mathurin, Mauritius on December 22, 2023 at 09:51 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -20.1101°, 66.1540°, which is 290 km E of Port Mathurin, Mauritius.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.8 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000m1n4). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, December 22, 2023). M4.8 Earthquake 290 km E of Port Mathurin, Mauritius — December 22, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000m1n4/